In the Evergreen State, the state’s top legal brass has gaming apps in its crosshairs after finding out there have been millions of dollars taken from Washington residents. In a recent article, Washington Attorney General Nick Brown has sued several companies that operate unlicensed casino-style gambling apps, accusing them of illegally taking more than $225 million from Washingtonians over the past five years. Brown filed the lawsuit in late February against companies including Playtika and Aristocrat, which together operate 16 electronic gambling apps that are used by more than 150,000 people in Washington each month, according to the complaint. The companies do not have licenses to operate gambling apps in the state, the lawsuit alleges.
For this article, SBS will be going over the latest gaming news coming from Washington, along with a variety of other notes and information you can only find at SBS.
Noted in the same article, the complaint says the companies violated Washington’s Gambling Act and Consumer Protection Act by offering casino-style games such as slots, poker, and scratchcards through mobile apps. Additionally, it seeks to stop companies from continuing the activity and to recover the money Washington residents have lost. “These companies repeatedly violated Washington law, engaged in deceptive practices, and fleeced Washingtonians out of hundreds of millions of dollars,” Brown said in a statement. “It is especially troubling to see gambling apps targeting children.”
Noted in the same report, the lawsuit also alleges deceptive practices, including failing to ask users for their age or date of birth. The attorney general’s office says Playtika, in particular, targets children through its Bingo Blitz app, which features cartoon animal characters and map-based game structure. The app also has a YouTube channel that produces content similar to children’s television, the complaint notes. Some users have also reported that their children played casino apps like Bingo Blitz on their parents’ phones and spent hundreds of dollars, according to the attorney general’s office.
Additionally, Washingtonians using the apps have spent hundreds of millions of dollars buying virtual currency, which is then wagered on games of chance for the opportunity to win more virtual currency, the lawsuit alleges. Some individuals have lost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Per the same report, the companies are accused of trying to replicate the casino experience on mobile phones, making gambling available at any time and in any place. Unlike traditional casinos, however, the apps do not allow players to cash out winnings. Instead, winnings remain in the app and can only be used to continue gambling, according to the complaint. Additionally, Washington law tightly regulates gambling. The Legislature amended the state’s Gambling Act in 2006 to prohibit internet gambling unless the operator is licensed. In 2018, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that virtual currency used in casino apps qualifies as a “thing of value,” bringing such apps under the state’s gambling laws.
The attorney general’s office says the companies were aware of that ruling. Playtika settled a consumer class action lawsuit in 2020 for $38 million over claims it violated Washington law, and Big Fish Games – now part of Aristocrat – settled a similar lawsuit. Despite those settlements, the companies continued operating in Washington, the lawsuit alleges. The apps named in the lawsuit include Slotomania, House of Fun, Caesar’s Casino Slots, World Series of Poker, Bingo Blitz, Big Fish Casino and several others.
In other state gaming news, a significant number of high school students are engaging in gambling across the country. According to the National Council on Problem Gambling, 60 to 80 percent of high schoolers admitted to gambling for money in the 2020-2021 school year. As for Washington, the Evergreen Council on Problem Gambling says that, across the state, one in 12 teens gamble regularly. Additionally, one in 17 Washington teens face serious gambling-related issues. This can include losing money they cannot afford to, selling items to fund bets or committing crimes to pay off their debts.
Despite strict regulations on betting sites in Washington, the report notes, gambling addiction experts say that online sports betting sites give today’s teens unprecedented access to gambling. Riley Leno is a Certified Gambling Counselor at New Horizon Care Centers in Spokane. Leno says he has seen firsthand the impact that gambling addiction can have. “It can cause people to spend hours and hours, ignore their food intake, ignore using the restroom, because they are so captivated by gambling,” Leno was quoted as saying in the report.
After you are all up to date in relation to the newest gambling notes coming from the Evergreen State, make sure to check out the excellent array of information for you only at SBS. Of course, for even more info on the state in this article, the Washington sports betting guide is a must-read resource that goes over all of the latest gaming topics from the region. Conversely, for those on the go and who qualify, the best betting apps breakdown is a fantastic report that goes over the perks of mobile betting and how you can use it to your advantage if it makes sense for you. Finally, another interesting page to get familiar with is the BetOnline sportsbook review rundown, which goes over an excellent array of information on the site and how you can use it to your advantage if you are eligible.
About the Author
Chris Boline is a Reno-based business development professional and freelance sports writer with over a decade of experience covering the NBA G League, Los Angeles Chargers, and national football and basketball. His expertise spans the NFL, NBA, UFC, boxing, golf, and motorsports, along with topical news, marketing, and promotional content. A proud University of Nevada graduate, Chris earned both his BS in Management & Economics (2015) and MBA (2023). He is active in the Reno community, serving on boards such as the Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, NCET, and the College of Business Alumni Association, where he was past president (2022–23). Notable honors include: - Two-time University of Nevada Alumni Chapter of the Year honoree (2017, 2021) - 2021 NCET Professional Services Organization of the Year (with TAC) - 2016–17 Reno Bighorns MVP, awarded by the Sacramento Kings - Nevada Press Association Award for Best Sports Column (2015) - Former Editor-in-Chief of The Nevada Sagebrush Chris blends his passion for sports with a strong background in sales, marketing, and community engagement.
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